


11 - Holidays abroad

by Kat_Lovegood



Series: Professor Layton Advent Calendar [11]
Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Advent Calendar, Advent Calendar Drabble, Gen, Post-Unwound Future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-18 13:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21761383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_Lovegood/pseuds/Kat_Lovegood
Summary: A glimpse into Luke's life in America.
Relationships: Hershel Layton & Luke Triton
Series: Professor Layton Advent Calendar [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557985
Kudos: 5





	11 - Holidays abroad

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! As you can see, I sorta posted this a little late... But I had a very busy day today, as I had a programming assignment, a piece of homework and a presentation due today, not to speak of all the Christmas preparations that are coming up at this time of year. So I hope I did not disappoint anyone by posting late today. This story also contains a puzzle, so please try solving it in the comments if you like to. I will add another chapter a while later that illustrates the solution if no one gets it until then. I hope you have a lovely week :)

The streets of West Lansing seemed to have been flooded with snow once again as Luke Triton walked home from his bus stop. It had been a few months since he and his parents had moved here, as his father had accepted a prominent position at the local university. Luke enjoyed the landscape that surrounded the small town, but he also missed his friends back in England. While the children he had become friends with at school were really nice, it just wasn‘t the same as going on breathtaking adventures with your mentor, solving incredible mysteries and all that.

Apart from the one case a few months ago that he had written a letter to the Professor about, his life here was rather… dull, so to speak. Especially during the winter month.

The sun set very earlier at this time of year, as it was just a day before the winter solstice, and the weather, while very picturesque, didn‘t allow for long periods outside. Back in London, he had always hoped for a white Christmas, but now all he wanted was to spend the holidays without being troubled by a blizzard. He shivered as he walked down the streets that were sparely lighted by the odd gaslight and was rather grateful when he finally reached the large wooden door of his new home. He shed his boots, coat and scarf in the corridor, without parting with his beloved blue cap, and put on some slippers, as the cold even managed to creep inside the house on these long, lonely winter nights.

Luke‘s mother had decorated the house with thousands of fairy lights and a few dozen festive ornaments, and even the large pine tree they would start decorating tomorrow had already found its place in the large dining room. His father had not yet returned from the university, but his mother was already home, as her geological research had been put on hold due to a recent weather warning.

„Hello Luke, do you want a cup of hot tea, darling? You must have frozen to death out there!“, she greeted him, not waiting for an answer before pouring the hot, steaming liquid into a blue mug that was decorated with puzzle pieces.

„Hello mom, yes, that would be nice“, Luke answered while taking place on a chair at the old, wooden table they had brought here all the way from Misthallery.

„There you go, love“, Brenda said as she placed the mug in front of him. „And of course you can have some cookies, too! We have baked quite a lot of them last weekend, and it would be terrible if they were to spoil, wouldn‘t it?“, she winked at her son before placing a large cookie jar on the table.

„Mmh, yes...“, Luke answered, forgetting all about his manners as he stuffed his mouth with a handful of brownies.

„Oh, before I forget, there‘s a card for you. It came with a parcel, but I figured I would keep that for now, until Christmas, at least“, Brenda mentioned.

„Is it from the Professor?“, Luke asked excitedly.

„Yes, it is! It‘s a puzzle, too, of course“, she smiled.

„Oh, let me see…

“ _I planted five rows of four Christmas trees each."_

_The man boasted to his boss. The boss looked at him and said, are you saying you planted 20 Christmas trees in one day?_

_No, the man said, I only planted 10 trees._

_How did he do it?_

_Merry Christmas, Luke_

_Yours truly, Hershel Layton“_

….Hmmpf… that‘s rather a hard one“, Luke said as he had read the letter. But he would solve it, of course. He was, after all, a true gentleman, and as such he never left a puzzle unsolved.


End file.
